Crippled
by Feathercreek01
Summary: Fatekit was born unusual. She was born without any tail, and when she was born her family died. She was then assigned to an abusive family, and all of her Clanmates avoided her. Will Fatekit ever gain the respect of all of the cats?
1. Chapter 1

**IT'S A NEW FANFIC! It's my third one. So, please read and review. Criticisms are welcome, but try not to be hateful. Helpful tips are welcome. Any ideas are welcome as well.**

Fatekit was born unusual. She had no tail. Her family died. She was under the care of an abusive family. Her "mother," Icecatch, was rude to Fatekit and screamed a lot. Her "father," Foxcloud, beat Fatekit and insulted her in any way he could. To make things worse, the Clan avoided Fatekit.

"Let all cats join beneath the Grassheap for a Clan meeting!" Bladestar yowled. He sounded grief-stricken. GrassClan's former deputy, Rainwind, had just died by an infected rat bite. "I will announce the new deputy."

"The new deputy is…" Bladestar looked around. The tension was thick.

"Icecatch." Fatekit whimpered softly. _Anyone but her! She'll think she can have more control of me now! _Icecatch heard Fatekit's whimper, and for a split second she glared at Fatekit- an icy, hateful glare- and then trotted over to Bladestar to touch noses with him.

"Icecatch! Icecatch!" The Clan yowled. Foxcloud yowled loudest of all, and Icecatch turned around and looked at Fatekit, a smirk on her face. Fatekit turned away and trudged over to the nursery.

"Wingbird, can you…" Fatekit heard Icecatch's voice stop. "Take care of Fatekit?" Icecatch finished. She sounded like she had eaten a foul mouse. Fatekit remembered that Wingbird was a pregnant queen. Fatekit couldn't hear Wingbird's reply, but she thought she sounded ungrateful.

"FATEKIT!" Icecloud yowled. Fatekit bounded over.

"Your new temporary mother will be Wingbird. She will take care of you until you become an apprentice." Icecatch choked out the word "apprentice," as if she didn't think Fatekit could become an apprentice. Fatekit nodded fearfully. Icecatch looked at Fatekit for a little longer, and then turned and walked away.

Wingbird sighed. "Well, come here," she meowed. "I'll have to give you milk." Fatekit padded over to her side and began to suck. _At least Wingbird isn't as bad as Icecatch,_ Fatekit thought. _And I'm three moons old. I don't have to deal with this torture much longer._

Fatekit realized that this was the first time she had felt peace. Fatekit closed her eyes, and she decided to enjoy the peace while it lasted. Her mother had died when she was just born by an illness, and her father had thrown himself against a rock many times to be with his mate in StarClan. Fatekit was then assigned to a "nice" cat named Icecatch, and her life spiraled into chaos.

Fatekit continued to peacefully suckle. Wingbird looked down at Fatekit and thought, _Well, she isn't too bad. She just needs a tail._

**YAY CHAPTER 1 IS DONE PLEASE REVIEW! Oh, and Fatekit is a black she-cat with purple spots.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah I know that I need to make this longer…so I'll try. I don't have a creative imagination. Well I kind of do….oh well! CHAPTER 2!**

Fatekit opened her eyes. She had slept! Fatekit looked around, and when she didn't see Icecatch, she sort of panicked. Not because she loved Icecatch; because Fatekit was just so used to having her around. Icecatch had been her "mother" for 3 moons.

Then she realized. Her new "mother" was Wingbird, a nicer, yet still mean cat. Wingbird ignored her at most times, unless Fatekit was wailing for milk or when it was night.

Fatekit's paws itched to do something. Wingbird wasn't up yet, and Fatekit thought that she could do something before Wingbird awoke. Even if she got in trouble, Icecatch wouldn't be able to do something about it. After all, she wasn't Fatekit's mother anymore. Fatekit raised her tail-wait; she had no tail-back paw in triumph.

Fatekit tottered outside. She had to shift her balance every time she walked; one time the balance would be on her left side, another time it would be on her right. It was challenging, but it wasn't impossible. She would be able to master this later.

It was early morning, and not many cats were up yet. Only the dawn patrol was, and the cats were too busy discussing. Fatekit decided to slip out of camp. She walked/stumbled as quietly as possible, until she reached the camp entrance. The dawn patrol was still discussing and talking. Fatekit whipped around to be sure that no one was watching her, and she walked as fast as she could out of the camp.

Fatekit looked at the forest in wonder. She didn't know trees could grow so tall! Fatekit wandered around, looking at the tall trees, leaves, grass, everything. She was so distracted that she almost didn't hear the growl.

She whipped around to scan her surroundings, and her heart stopped. A fox! Fatekit crept backwards, but the fox kept on following her. More foxes began to appear. Fatekit turned and ran (or, at least, tried to).

"HELP! WINGBIRD! ANYONE!" she cried. The foxes were hot on her heels. She could feel the foxes' breath on her back paws. Yet still, she never looked back. Fatekit kept on running, but she must've slowed down, because right at that moment…

Fatekit would never forget this. The foxes caught up to her, and one of the foxes scratched her back. Fatekit howled in pain. Streams of blood covered her back. Fatekit sank to the ground in agony. However, just before the foxes could finish her off, she heard a voice.

"NO!" Two cats sprung out from the bushes. Fatekit realized they were Goldenstripe and Graypaw, cats from her Clan. They bowled over the foxes and scratched them until they all ran off. Fatekit was still hurt. Goldenstripe and Graypaw ran over to Fatekit. Her eyes were closed, but her chest was moving. They gently picked her up and guided her back to the camp.

Back at the camp, Wingbird was frantic. Icecatch was angry. "That pathetic, useless kit," Icecatch spat. Wingbird was running around in circles, shouting, "WHERE ARE YOU?" When Goldenstripe and Graypaw came back with Fatekit, Wingbird stopped and ran over. She licked Fatekit until she woke up.

"Where were you?" Wingbird demanded. Fatekit stared at her. She said nothing.

"Yes, where were you?" Icecatch growled. Fatekit knew that tone of voice.

"Out-outside of camp," Fatekit squeaked.

"WHAT?" Icecatch roared. Fatekit shrank back.

"You know what? I'm DONE. Wingbird's your temporary mother, correct? Not anymore. She's your mother now. I don't want anything to do with _you._ You're ugly, scarred, and stupid. Any cat with sense would know not to go into the forest without an experienced cat!" Icecatch spat. The whole Clan looked at her in shock. Fatekit looked down at the ground in shame.

Graypaw came to Fatekit's defense. "She's just a kit. She wouldn't know anything," he meowed. Fatekit looked up at him in wonder. All of this time, no one cared about Fatekit. No one would come to her defense. Until now.

Icecatch glared at Graypaw and Fatekit, and then she stalked off over to Bladestar's den. _She's probably going to tell him what happened and going to try to convince him to get rid of me, _Fatekit thought miserably.

Wingbird nudged Fatekit. "You ought to go to the medicine cat's den. That's a nasty looking scratch," she advised.

Fatekit trudged over to the medicine cat's den right when Icecatch came out of Bladestar's den. She looked at Fatekit with a mixture of disgust, hatred, and contempt.

Fatekit sighed. She knew she had done something incredibly stupid. She deserved to be exiled out of the Clan. As the medicine cat tended to Fatekit's wound, Fatekit thought gloomily about how the next day would bring hell.

**Well that's a long chapter. ANYWAYS…I hope I've included a lot more detail. Read and review, please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**It seems like I enjoy this fanfic. Chapter 3!**

"Let all cats join here under the Grassheap for a Clan meeting!" Bladestar yowled.

Fatekit had a heavy feeling in her heart. She already knew what this was going to be about. _I'm going to be exiled, _she thought.

"Yesterday Fatekit has snuck outside and was attacked by foxes. Although it was reckless and dangerous, she has, however, made it clear that there are foxes nearby our territory. Icecatch will make sure that there will be more patrols," Bladestar meowed.

"If this was any other cat, I would've severely punished him/her, but this is a disabled cat. Therefore, I will still punish her, but not as severely.

"Fatekit, your punishment is to take care of the elders for 3 days. Tend to their bedding, and do whatever they need you to do. Do you understand?" Bladestar meowed. Fatekit nodded.

"Good. This meeting is over," Bladestar mewed. Graypaw nudged Fatekit. "Hey, it's not so bad, right?" Fatekit looked at him and let out a sigh. It was true. She could've been assigned to camp for a moon or more.

Fatekit then realized that she had feelings for Graypaw. He had stood up for her, and he had talked to her just now. She felt grateful that he would even talk to her. The scratch that she had received by the foxes would be a scar, leaving Fatekit scarred and without a tail. And…she couldn't ignore the thought that the gray tom (Graypaw) was handsome.

* * *

The next three days passed by quickly. She was thinking about Graypaw constantly now. All she could think about was that handsome face, and the kindness that he treated her with…

Fatekit shook her head. _Stop getting so obsessed with him!_ she scolded herself.

The next few weeks and moons passed by considerably fast, because everyday, she got to see Graypaw. Every time she saw Graypaw, the happier she became. Suddenly, one day, when Fatekit was staring at Graypaw, Emberpaw, a ginger she-cat who was rude to Fatekit, snarled, "Why are you staring at him? He's _mine._"

"Well, maybe I like him, too!" Fatekit meowed defensibly.

Emberpaw snorted at her. "You think he would paw attention to a scarred she-cat with no tail? I'm prettier than you, you know that. Graypaw would certainly like me better." With that, she groomed her perfect ginger fur.

Rage filled Fatekit's vision, but she didn't dare explode. She had learned how to keep her feelings inside of her. When Emberpaw walked away, Fatekit dug her claws into the earth and scratched the ground, wishing that it was Emberpaw's body.

"Fatekit? Are you okay?" Fatekit recognized Graypaw's voice. She looked up at him. His perfect blue eyes were shadowed with concern.

"I'm-I'm fine," Fatekit stammered. She glanced over at her surroundings, and she saw Emberpaw, and Fatekit caught jealously in her eyes.

Graypaw was about to say something when Emberpaw trotted over. "What are you doing with this pathetic cat? Come on, walk with me," she meowed, glaring at Fatekit. Graypaw tried to say something, but Emberpaw dragged him over to the apprentices' den.

Fatekit couldn't believe her. _And she still thinks that she'll attract Graypaw?_ Fatekit wondered. Emberpaw had less sense than a rock.

_Well, let her have her "sense,"_ Fatekit thought. As Fatekit stumbled back into the nursery, she thought, _Graypaw will be mine, and Emberpaw won't have anything to do about it._

**If you have read my fanfics you know that all of them have some kind of romance in them. This chapter has romance, and some of the following chapters will have it as well, but this fanfic is not built on romance. So yeah. Review and read, please. And this fanfic will not always be a "happy ever after." Just saying. I will be VERY cruel at times. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

"From this day on, Fatekit, you will be known as Fatepaw. StarClan honors your bravery and spirit, and we welcome you as an apprentice of GrassClan. Your mentor will be Heatclaw." Fatepaw touched noses with Heatclaw.

"Fatepaw! Fatepaw!" Few cats yowled out her name. Icecatch, Foxcloud, and their friends looked away. Graypaw had yowled the loudest, which made Fatepaw burst with pride and happiness. Although not many cats had said her name, it made Fatepaw proud that some cats had even bothered to say it.

"What are we going to do? Can we explore the territory?" Fatepaw asked Heatclaw.

Heatclaw chuckled. "Slow down," he meowed. "You can go pick out your nest in the apprentices' den."

Fatepaw nodded and walked towards the apprentices' den. She was improving at walking, but she couldn't really run yet. When she got there, she met Graypaw, and her eyes lit up, but her spirit quickly became crushed when she saw Emberpaw in the den as well.

"Fatepaw! Are you picking out your nest?" Graypaw asked. Fatepaw made an effort not to stare at him for too long.

"Y-yes," she stammered. "Um…any suggestions on what nest I should pick?"

"Here, you can have your nest by me," Graypaw offered. Fatepaw was delighted. She was going to sleep by the cat she liked. Emberpaw overheard the conversation and curled her lip. She was sleeping far away from Graypaw. Emberpaw stalked up to him.

"Why do you let this ugly creature sleep next to you, when there's a _much _prettier cat that's so far from you?" Emberpaw batted her eyelids at Graypaw, all flirty-like.

"She's nice, unlike you, who just wants to flirt with me all the time," Graypaw retorted.

Emberpaw opened and closed her mouth rapidly, like a fish out of water. She glared at Graypaw, then at Fatepaw, and meowed, "FINE! Don't be with your future mate, then!" Emberpaw stormed out of the den.

"Future mate?" Fatepaw echoed. _How would Graypaw like her later?_ Fatepaw thought.

Graypaw sighed. "She annoys me to no end," he meowed.

"Fatepaw! Come out here!" Heatclaw's voice sounded.

"Okay!" Fatepaw replied. She looked at Graypaw. "I'd better leave," she meowed. Graypaw nodded. "See you later!"

Heatclaw was waiting outside for Fatepaw. "Okay, so I know you have no tail-so you are going to learn how to walk, run, jump, and do everything that requires balance," he said.

Fatepaw nodded enthusiastically. This was it; she could become a normal cat, though she knew that she would never be able to pass for normal. "I can walk," she piped up.

"I know, but- no offense- you aren't very good at it," Heatclaw replied. "So, what I want you to do are to spread your paws out, and shift your weight every time you take a step forward. You probably already know this, but you've got to practice doing this."

Fatepaw tried, and she failed. She got back up and tried again. This time, she could take a couple of steps. Heatclaw nodded. "Good, but practice more. The more you practice, the more you'll get used to this, and you'll be able to walk with ease."

They spent the rest of the afternoon learning how to walk correctly, and they did a little exercise on running, but Fatepaw failed. Fatepaw, did, however, master walking. She did exercises in camp, like walking to the elders' den and back to the apprentices' den. She never stumbled once, and she was able to shift her weight and balance to the other side quite easily.

"Alright, we're done for today. Tomorrow I'll teach you how to run, and the next day I'll teach you how to jump. After that we'll practice hunting and battle training, like a regular apprentice. But throughout your training, I'll pull you over randomly to show me your walking, running, and jumping. Do you understand?" Heatclaw meowed.

"Yes, Heatclaw," Fatepaw nodded solemnly.

"Good. Now you can go get a piece of prey to eat, and chat with the apprentices," Heatclaw mewed. Fatepaw walked away.

When Fatepaw finished her piece of prey, she bounded, wait no, _walked,_ over to the apprentices' den. All of the apprentices were there-Mintpaw, a light gray tabby she-cat, Pinepaw, a dark brown tabby tom, Windpaw, a tortoiseshell she-cat, Graypaw, and Emberpaw.

"What'd you do today?" Graypaw asked Fatepaw.

"Learn how to walk," Fatepaw replied. She heard a snort coming from Emberpaw, but all of the other apprentices nodded solemnly, because they knew that she was disabled, and that they should respect Fatepaw's feelings.

"Walk?" Emberpaw sniffed. "Ilearned how to do that when I was a kit."

Fatepaw couldn't take it any longer. Her fur bristled. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm crippled! I didn't want to be born this way. Everyone else avoids me, and that hurts, but insulting me is even worse. I HATE YOU!" Fatepaw stomped out of the apprentices' den.

Every cat stared at Emberpaw, their mouths open. "What?" she asked. "She deserves to be insulted. Look at her, for StarClan's sake! SHE'S UGLY, AND SHE'S DISABLED!" Emberpaw shouted.

A snarl came from Graypaw. "What if you were her? What if you were avoided by everyone in the Clan? What if someone made fun of you, when you're trying to gain respect?" Graypaw chased after Fatepaw, and Emberpaw gaped.

"Fatepaw! Come back!" Graypaw meowed.

Fatepaw turned around. "What is it?" she said icily. "Do you want to make more fun of me?"

Graypaw pressed up close to her, their pelts just barely brushing. "You know I wouldn't do that…" he murmured. Happiness bubbled under Fatepaw's pelt. She wanted to stay here, frozen forever, but then Graypaw yawned. "I'd better get some sleep," he mewed. "You should get some too."

Fatepaw nodded, and she walked over to the apprentices' den. But before she could get there, Windpaw came up to her. "Playing with your mate?" she purred.

Embarrassment flooded her body. "He's not my mate," Fatepaw protested.

Windpaw snorted. "Oh, please. Every apprentice knows that you and Graypaw have something." Windpaw flicked her tail and padded to the apprentices' den. Fatepaw followed. She snuggled in her nest, next to Graypaw, and fell asleep by the sounds of Graypaw's steady breathing.

**Well this was a nice chapter. I like it. Review please, I only have 5 reviews. I'm not demanding for reviews, but I'd like reviews, for praise and constructive criticism. **


	5. Chapter 5

**YAY MORE REVIEWS! Thanks so much, you guys! And so…I SHALL START UPDATING QUICKER! MAYBE! Oh, and my school's out. So…yeah. On with Chapter 5!**

A yowl awoke Fatepaw. Her ears perked up. It was the middle of the night. She first thought that one of the apprentices was dreaming. Fatepaw scanned the apprentices, but all of them seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Fatepaw was confused. She silently padded outside and went to the medicine cats' den, but Thunderpelt, the medicine cat, wasn't there. Another yowl filled the camp, and Fatepaw saw cats come out of their dens. Then something hit her. Wingbird! She must be kitting. Fatepaw walked over to the nursery.

Wingbird was clearly in a lot of pain. Ripples passed in her belly, and she was restricting herself not to let out another yowl. Meanwhile, Thunderpelt was encouraging Wingbird. "You can do it," he murmured. "It won't be long now."

Suddenly, a small bundle tumbled out onto the soft nest. Thunderpelt nipped the kitting sac and out came a kit. "A tom," Thunderpelt declared. Wingbird guided him to her teat, but Thunderpelt fended him off, saying, "You're not done yet. There's still one more."

Wingbird used her last bit of energy to deliver her last kit. "A she-cat," Thunderpelt mewed. The kits began to suckle. Wingbird's mate, Cloudwater, was trembling with pride.

"You should name them," Thunderpelt advised. Wingbird nodded, and looked at her kits again. The tom was a burly dark brown tabby, and the she-cat was a beautiful tortoiseshell.

"The tom will be Leopardkit," Wingbird meowed weakly. Cloudwater nodded. "And the she-cat will be Brightkit."

"Leopardkit and Brightkit," Thunderpelt meowed, "welcome to GrassClan."

* * *

"Alright, Fatepaw, today we learn how to run. Are you feeling up to it?" Heatclaw inquired.

"Totally!" Fatepaw answered, her fur bristling with excitement.

"Good. Before we start, however, I want to see you walk," Heatclaw meowed.

Fatepaw stifled a meow of protest. She had already mastered walking! But she knew that if she questioned Heatclaw, she might not learn how to run.

Fatepaw walked from her place to the end of the training clearing and back, feeling steady on her paws. She arrived back to Heatclaw, whose eyes were shining with praise. His tail flicked.

"Nice. Now, let's learn how to run."

"Basically, running is like walking, but you jump a little bit, and you walk much faster. Now, I know we haven't learned jumping, but you can't really consider running as jumping," Heatclaw informed Fatepaw.

"Now, watch me." Heatclaw ran from his spot to the edge of the training clearing, and then back. Fatepaw watched in awe. She'd never seen a cat "walk" so fast!

"Can I try?" Fatepaw begged right when Heatclaw came back.

"Okay, let's see it," Heatclaw replied.

Fatepaw steadied herself, and she started walking very fast. She wobbled a little bit, but she kept her balance. Then, she started working her legs faster, and then started jumping a little bit. When she started jumping, her balance wavered, and she fell.

"Hmmm…" Heatclaw thought out loud. "I might as well show you how to jump first."

"I know how, but I lose my balance," Fatepaw protested.

"I know. So…when you jump, lean a little bit to the left and right," Heatclaw advised.

"How do I do that?" Fatepaw asked. "I won't have enough time to do that!"

"Yes, you will," Heatclaw answered.

"No, I won't," Fatepaw retorted.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, you will!" Heatclaw meowed sternly. Fatepaw looked at her paws in shame. She had upset her mentor.

"Now, try it," Heatclaw instructed. Fatepaw got to her paws and leaped, leaning to her left, and then leaning to her right. Fatepaw was steady, and she landed on all four of her paws.

"Great!" Heatclaw praised. "Now, let's see it again."

They spent an afternoon jumping, doing exercises, and learning how to run, though Fatepaw failed. Heatclaw did notice, however, that Fatepaw was improving a lot. When she first started learning how to run in the beginning, she took a few steps, and then lost her balance. Now, she could take more than a few steps, and could actually run a little before collapsing.

"Alright," Heatclaw meowed when the sun was going down. "I think we should go back now." Fatepaw nodded. She was exhausted, hungry, and bone-weary.

When Fatepaw arrived back at camp, she half walked/half jumped over to the fresh-kill pile. She thought that she could eat the whole pile. In the end, however, she chose a plump blackbird. She quickly devoured it in quick, small bites and walked quickly over to the apprentices' den.

In there, all of the apprentices' were chatting. They stopped when Fatepaw walked in. "What?" Fatepaw asked. _It better not be about me, _she thought.

"We were talking about Wingbird's kits, Leopardkit and Brightkit," Pinepaw replied, with a barb in his voice. Fatepaw ignored the edge to his voice; Pinepaw was very anti-social towards her, anyway.

"So…what did you guys do today?" Fatepaw asked, trying to change the subject.

Mintpaw went first. "Pinepaw, Windpaw, and I did our final assessment today. Tomorrow morning, my mentor said that we would become warriors," Mintpaw mewed excitedly.

Pinepaw and Windpaw nodded. "Yeah, we're going to become warriors!" they added.

"Good job," Graypaw meowed encouragingly.

Graypaw went next. "I went on a hunting patrol, and I caught three mice," he meowed proudly. Fatepaw looked at him with praise in her eyes.

"Oh my god, really! I've never done that before! Everyone must be _so _proud of you!" Emberpaw gushed.

"Well, um…kind of," Graypaw meowed uncomfortably.

"Kind of? What are you talking about! Catching three mice is a _huge _feat," Emberpaw praised.

"Well…um, thanks," Graypaw answered.

"Emberpaw, what did you do today?" Fatepaw asked. Emberpaw flicked her tail. "Well, I got to go on a border patrol, definitely because I'm so awesome, and we saw cats from FireClan in our territory! So, of course, we asked them why there were here, and they said that they needed a piece of our territory! We couldn't believe that, so we chased them off into their own territory. They won't be back soon!" Emberpaw curled her tail up in triumph.

"But then again, Emberpaw," Graypaw rambled. "There could be a battle."

Emberpaw's eyes widened. "Oh wow, a battle! I've never been in one. I'd fight any cat who trespasses onto our territory!" She bared her teeth and snarled for good measure.

Fatepaw couldn't believe her ears. "Mouse-brain! Cats could get hurt in this battle, if there is one!" Fatepaw hissed.

"No way! Cats from _GrassClan_ wouldn't get hurt, but cats from FireClan would be hit hard! GrassClan is invincible!" Emberpaw meowed. All of the apprentices except for Emberpaw looked at each other. They all thought the exact same thing: _Nothing is invincible, and cats from GrassClan will get hurt!_

Fatepaw sighed. It was no use in trying to talk sense into Emberpaw. She didn't have any. "Well, sweet dreams, everyone," Fatepaw meowed. She sank into her nest and slept.

**Basically the same format as the last chapter. So…yeah.**

**Nikonkey-I like the name Fatetail, but I was thinking of Fateheart. But then that means that I'm gonna have to change Graypaw's name! *sigh* So…PM me for names, people!**

**MorningEmerald: Fatepaw and Emberpaw becoming besties? Interesting, but…probably won't happen :P. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! I might update three times a week now because updating almost everyday is bad for my eyes…and I'd like to get away from this computer for a little bit. **

"Let all cats join under the Grassheap for a Clan meeting!" Bladestar yowled.

Fatepaw blinked her eyes open drowsily. She was confused for a bit, but then remembered that it was Mintpaw's, Pinepaw's, and Windpaw's warrior ceremony!

"This ceremony is one of the most important ceremonies of the Clan-the naming of new warriors," Bladestar meowed. "Mintpaw, come forward."

"Blizzardseed, is Mintpaw ready to become an apprentice?" Bladestar asked Blizzardseed, Mintpaw's mentor. Blizzardseed nodded. "More than ready," he purred.

"Very well. Mintpaw, do you promise to honor the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" Bladestar meowed. Mintpaw nodded. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your new name. Mintpaw, from now on you shall be called Mintflower. StarClan honors your kindness and spirit, and we welcome you as a full member of GrassClan."

"Mintflower! Mintflower!" The Clan yowled. Fatepaw saw that every cat was yowling, and she felt a pang of sadness. _Why couldn't every one yowl out my name at my apprentice ceremony?_

Bladestar did the same to Pinepaw and Windpaw, giving Pinepaw the name of Pinestorm, and giving Windpaw the name of Windsong.

"Mintflower! Pinestorm! Wingsong!" The Clan yowled again.

* * *

"Tuliptail, Twigfoot, Moonfire, and Heatclaw are assigned to a hunting patrol," Icecatch meowed.

Heatclaw dipped his head. "Thank you, but I have to train Fatepaw," he mewed.

Icecatch narrowed her eyes. "Why would you want to go with her?" she hissed.

"Because she's my apprentice, and I have to train her," Heatclaw retorted.

Icecatch and Heatclaw stared at each other, their eyes full of fire. Fatepaw secretly hoped that Heatclaw would win the war that Icecatch had caused, because Heatclaw was one of the few cats who treated her with respect. Finally Icecatch gave up. "Fine," she spat. "Go with that." Fatepaw's heart split into two. Icecatch hadn't even registered that Fatepaw was a cat; she just said "that." (Hey, that rhymes.)

"This is the last day for basic training. Are you up to it?" Heatclaw meowed. Fatepaw nodded.

"Let's see you run. I explained it yesterday, so I don't think you need me to explain it again."

Fatepaw concentrated. She first started walking, and then she started picking up speed, and started to jump. Fatepaw concentrated even harder. She was running! However, she couldn't go very fast. Fatepaw jogged to the edge of the training area and back to Heatclaw.

"Very good," he mewed. "But that's "jogging." Running is a little bit faster," he added. Fatepaw let out a sigh. "Don't be discouraged, you're doing really well. All you need to do is go faster," Heatclaw meowed gently.

Fatepaw practiced again and again, and she managed to go a little faster. She got to the running speed, but after a couple of minutes she collapsed.

"Fatepaw, I'm not sure if you can improve anymore. I'm not being offensive, it's just that I think that the running will come with experience," Heatclaw said. "So right now, I'm going to assign you trails that you will have to walk, jump, and run through, alright?" Fatepaw nodded. "Let's get to it."

Heatclaw marked a path where Fatepaw was supposed to go through. Fatepaw was just about to start when Icecatch burst into the training area. "FireClan invasion!" she panted.

"What?" Heatclaw meowed, but Icecatch had already run off.

Heatclaw looked at Fatepaw. "You haven't learned any battle moves, but…this might be a good experience about what a battle is like," Heatclaw said uncertainly. "Stick by me. Don't get into the deep part of the fighting."

They raced to the FireClan border. There, they saw cats fighting. Fatepaw recognized Emberpaw, Mintflower, Windsong, Pinestorm, and Graypaw.

"Remember, stay by me," Heatclaw whispered. Then, he ran to where Graypaw was fighting with an apprentice. Heatclaw threw the FireClan apprentice off. Graypaw blinked his thanks at Heatclaw.

Suddenly, a cat was on top of Fatepaw. "Are you the cat with no tail?" the cat asked. Fatepaw didn't reply. "I'm surprised that Bladestar even made you an apprentice," the cat sneered. "You can't even do anything."

Rage built up inside Fatepaw. She swiped an unsheathed claw at the cat, and the blow connected. The cat staggered backwards, and Fatepaw got to her feet. Drops of blood fell from the cat's face. The cat bared his teeth and snarled. He launched himself on Fatepaw, but Fatepaw sidestepped, and he hit the ground. Fatepaw backed away. The cat got up and struck. The blow connected, and fresh blood welled out of the scratch. Powerless, Fatepaw tried to go around the tom, but he had already anticipated that. Fatepaw knew that this would be the end of her. This tom had much more battle training than her, who had no battle training at all.

"I would kill you right now," he meowed. "But I want to savor this moment." He unsheathed his claws, and he slowly advanced his claw to Fatepaw's neck. Fatepaw tried to squirm out of the way, but then the tom pinned her to ground with a heavy paw. Fatepaw knew that she could do nothing. She would die.

Just as the claw parted her fur, she heard a voice shouting her name, and the cat on her was thrown back. She saw a gray tom…Graypaw? Why would he come to Fatepaw's rescue?

"Don't even lay a paw on her," Graypaw snarled.

The tom that had attacked Fatepaw snarled back, but he retreated back to his Clan and fled.

"FireClan, retreat!" a cat yowled. All FireClan cats retreated back to their territory, shooting glances full of hatred towards the GrassClan cats.

"Graypaw…are you…are you alright?" Fatepaw asked quietly. His pelt was full of scratches. Graypaw nodded, but Fatepaw could see that he was in pain.

"Here, lean on my shoulder," Fatepaw offered. Graypaw gratefully took the offer. The two staggered back to camp.

"Let's get you healed up," Fatepaw said. She dragged him to the medicine cats' den. Already that den was full of injured cats. "Thunderpelt, is there anything I can do to help?" Fatepaw asked.

Thunderpelt turned around. "Sure. You can pass out herbs to cats and make poultices," Thunderpelt meowed. Fatepaw nodded.

"Chew these herbs up, and form a poultice. Then apply it to the wounded cats," Thunderpelt instructed. Fatepaw chewed up the herbs, and she spat them out and applied it to Graypaw (of course). Fatepaw kept on going, chewing up more herbs and applying them to Graypaw's wounds. When all of them were finished, Thunderpelt gave him permission to go back to the apprentices' den. Fatepaw had to stay and care for all of the other cats.

While Fatepaw was treating the cats, she kept on thinking why Graypaw would protect her. She was crippled, true, but no one had liked Fatepaw, except for Heatclaw and Wingbird. When Fatepaw was done treating the cats, she staggered to the apprentices' den, exhausted. But she had to ask Graypaw.

"Graypaw," she meowed quietly. "Why did you help me in the battle?"

"You were getting overpowered," he meowed simply.

"I know," Fatepaw meowed. "But other cats were also getting hurt-maybe more than me-but you chose me. Why?"

Graypaw sighed. "Fatepaw…it's because…" he murmured. "It's because I love you."

Shock blazed in Fatepaw's eyes. "Why me?" Fatepaw asked him.

"You're nice, and you're not necessary pretty, but you have a kind heart." Graypaw licked Fatepaw's cheek.

Fatepaw sunk into her nest. "Graypaw."

"Yes?"

"I love you, too." Fatepaw closed her eyes, and she thought that she could hear a little purr come from Graypaw.

In the den, Emberpaw had eavesdropped on Fatepaw and her little conversation. She felt betrayed when Graypaw announced that he loved Fatepaw. _Why her? Why her?_ Emberpaw kept on thinking. Fatepaw was not attractive in any way, while herself was good looking and attractive. Emberpaw felt jealously overcome her mind.

_Graypaw, why?_

**Longer chapter. YAY! Graypaw and Fatepaw have a happy ending! Maybe…:) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Fatepaw woke up and saw a ginger face in Fatepaw's face.

"Ember…Emberpaw?" Fatepaw yawned sleepily.

"Fatepaw." Emberpaw snarled.

"Wha…what's wrong?" Fatepaw whimpered. She had no idea why Emberpaw was so angry. Did she sleep the wrong way? Is she always angry in the mornings? Or-or did she overhear on Fatepaw's and Graypaw's conversation last night?

"Don't fool with me, Fatepaw. I heard that talk you had with Graypaw last night," Emberpaw spat.

Anger burned inside Fatepaw until she was smoldering with rage. "You eavesdropped on us!"

"Yes, I did, and who says I can't?" Emberpaw replied back. "But that's not the point. The point is-don't lay a paw on Graypaw, don't even stare at him. He's still _mine. _He might say that he loves you, but I know that he'll come to his sense sooner or later. He will love _me_, and not you, never you!" Emberpaw huffed.

"Just because the cat that you like doesn't like you doesn't mean you have to get so upset!" Fatepaw shouted. "Live with it, Emberpaw. It's not the end of the world."

"Fatepaw! Emberpaw! Calm down!" Bladestar walked towards them. "I don't know what the topic of your conversation is about, but what I do know is that you two have to calm down. It looks like you two want to claw each other to death!" Bladestar scolded. "You two can't argue. I know that you two don't like each other, but at least make an effort to be nice!" Bladestar walked away.

"What's happening?" Graypaw walked up to them. Fatepaw's stomach felt like ten million butterflies were fluttering in her.

"Why don't you love me?" Emberpaw cried.

Graypaw just looked at her. "I like you as a friend," he curtly responded.

"That's not enough! I want you to look at me like you look at Fatepaw! Why did you even fall for her? _How _did you ever fall for her? You know what Icecatch said. She said that Fatepaw was so ugly, and Icecatch disowned her. Why do you even pay attention to her?" Emberpaw burst out.

Graypaw was taken by surprise. "For me, it's not all about looks," Graypaw answered calmly. "For me, it's all about the inside and the heart."

"I have a good heart!" Emberpaw protested. (Yeah, right.)

Graypaw stared at her. "You mean that after all of those insults that you said to Fatepaw, you _still _consider yourself to have a good heart?" Graypaw asked. He didn't wait for Emberpaw to answer. He turned away and walked towards his mentor.

Fatepaw scampered off towards her mentor.

* * *

"Today we learn the hunters' crouch," Heatclaw meowed. "So, you crouch down, and then you silently stalk towards your prey," Heatclaw instructed. "Watch me."

He crouched down, and, waving his tail a little bit to balance himself, he silently took a couple of steps forward. He looked behind at Fatepaw. "Then, when you get close enough, you pounce, and then you trap the prey, and kill it with a bite to the neck, or whatever you want. Just make sure to kill it," Heatclaw meowed.

"This is going to be easy for you, because you've already learned how to walk without your tail, and since you have no tail, you can't "accidently" move it to distract any plants that can be overhead," Heatclaw mewed. "Just make sure to check your surroundings, so that you don't walk on any twigs, and check the wind, to see if it's carrying your scent to the prey or if the wind is carrying your scent away from the prey." Heatclaw dipped his head. "Let me see it."

Fatepaw crouched down, and, trying to be as silent as possible, she slowly shifted her weight and took a couple of steps, still in the crouch. She eyed a leaf. She took a couple more steps, and then she pounced, trapping the leaf in her paws, and she ripped the leaf in half.

She turned to look at Heatclaw. His eyes were glowing. "Let's try that on some real prey."

They moved to an area where there was plenty of prey. Heatclaw spotted a fat vole. "Try and catch that," Heatclaw whispered. Fatepaw nodded. She first tested the wind. The wind is blowing downstream, carrying her scent away from the prey. Fatepaw crouched down, and she silently stalked her prey. The vole was nibbling on a chestnut. Suddenly…_SNAP! _Fatepaw cursed silently in her head. She had stepped on a twig! Thankfully, since the vole couldn't smell her, the vole only stood more alert. The vole looked around, and Fatepaw willed herself not to move. Finally, the vole started nibbling on its chestnut again.

Cautiously, Fatepaw stepped towards the vole. When she got close to it, she sprang with lightning fast speed and (remembering to balance herself) she trapped the vole with her forepaws and killed it with a scratch to the neck.

Fatepaw felt pride overwhelm her. She had caught her first piece of prey! It was quite big, too. It would feed plenty of cats.

"Well done," Heatclaw praised her. "Let's get back to camp."

When Fatepaw came back with the vole, some cats swarmed around her, including Mintflower, Pinestorm, Windsong, and Graypaw.

"Nice catch," Pinestorm commented. Fatepaw felt happiness bubble up in her pelt. Pinestorm was one of the cats who avoided her, but now he…respected her? She could hardly believe it. She puffed out her chest in pride.

However, Icecatch, Emberpaw, Foxcloud, and a couple of the other Clanmates stood back. "It's just a vole," Foxcloud sniffed. "What good does that do?"

"Foxcloud." Bladestar emerged. Fatepaw could see panic in Foxcloud's eyes. "Is that the way you treat a member of the Clan?"

"She's hardly a member of the Clan; I bet she only caught that vole because of luck!" Foxcloud blurted out. Fatepaw felt unbelievable rage build up in her. She had caught this vole with her skill! She ran up to him.

"I caught this with my own skill! I learned how to hunt, and I wanted you and Icecatch to be proud of me. However, all you do is insult me. When will you ever respect me, _father?_" Fatepaw spat the last word out.

Foxcloud seemed taken aback. "Fatepaw, calm down," Bladestar chided her. "Although she does have a point." Bladestar stared at Foxcloud. "She's right that her foster parents don't respect her, and she did learn how to hunt."

"Well, why should I respect her?" Foxcloud retorted. "She's crippled, ugly, and scarred. She doesn't even have a tail!"

Several cats gasped at that comment. Although Fatepaw felt angry towards her foster parents, she couldn't help but feel a hint of pride that some cats would take her side.

"Foxcloud, I thought that you had more sense," Bladestar meowed coldly.

"Well, he does have more sense!" Icecatch went to Foxcloud's defense. "She is ugly, scarred, and crippled. She doesn't make us proud, for she will never look like a cat should!" Icecatch snapped.

"It seems like you two judge solely on appearances," Bladestar meowed with a cold edge. "Never in my life have I met cats who are so prejudiced against disabled cats. Although you two haven't broken the warrior code, you two have broken a rule far beyond the warrior code-the rule of fairness." Bladestar went on. "You two are to be banished from GrassClan for two moons. After two moons, we can see if you want to respect your Clanmates or not." Bladestar flicked his tail. Icecatch and Foxcloud gaped at him, and then turned away and walked out of the camp exit.

"Let all cats join under the Grassheap for a Clan meeting!" Bladestar yowled.

"As you all know by now, Icecatch and Foxcloud were banished out of the Clan for two moons," Bladestar meowed. "And that means that we need to appoint a new deputy."

"The deputy will be…" Bladestar looked at all of the cats.

"Heatclaw." Fatepaw felt a burst of pride.

"Heatclaw! Heatclaw!" The Clan yowled.

"I bet you're glad that Icecatch and Foxcloud are banished for a while," Graypaw meowed after the meeting. Fatepaw nodded.

"At least there won't be as many insults," Fatepaw mewed. "And my mentor's Clan deputy."

"True." Graypaw looked at Fatepaw. "You'll be more respected, which is your dream, and being the apprentice of the deputy is a huge honor!" Graypaw licked her cheek, and Fatepaw blushed.

"Graypaw, you're sure about what you said to Emberpaw, right?" Fatepaw inquired.

"Yeah, she'll just be a good friend," Graypaw answered.

"I love you," Fatepaw meowed quietly.

"I love you too. I will always love you, and never anyone else," Graypaw vowed, and he scooted a bit closer to Fatepaw until their pelts were brushing.

Fatepaw felt so happy that she could yowl out her happiness to the world. Fatepaw closed her eyes, and she tried to imagine a future with Graypaw…

Suddenly…

"GRAYPAW! HELP!"

**Yeah, I felt like doing a cliffhanger there. **

**stephenmc- Like I said, I enjoy the idea. I'm going to use it, but I'm going to put a couple of tweaks in there.**

**Nikonkey- Thanks for the names! Maybe more for Emberpaw, though. They have to be reasonable.**

**MorningEmerald- Yeah, my school's out :D. It was out a while ago. Thanks for reviewing! And I like your rambling about school ****.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Just saying, I'm making this up as I go along. Sooooooo….YEAH! ONWARDS WITH THE CHAPTER!**

Fatepaw froze. She thought that she had heard…Emberpaw's voice? She looked around the camp. No other cat had heard her voice. She looked at Graypaw, and he looked equally confused as Fatepaw.

"Well, Emberpaw's asking for you," Fatepaw meowed. "So…should I, um, not go or something…?"

"I'd rather have you with me." Graypaw twined his tail with hers, and then added hesitantly, "If you want, of course."

"Of course I want to, fur-brain," Fatepaw purred. "But there's one problem. No one else heard Emberpaw except for you and me. That's weird. Anyways, we're going to have to figure out a way to sneak out of camp."

"We could use the dirt-place tunnel," Graypaw offered. "Say that we're just making dirt."

"Yeah, so we're going to be in the dirt-place for several hours," Fatepaw retorted.

"I was just suggesting!"

"Whatever." Fatepaw thought of a way. "Maybe…maybe we just creep out of camp in the middle of the night? Emberpaw's going to wait, but I don't see any other way."

"Well, she could just be in danger right now, like being torn to pieces by a badger," Graypaw replied. He sighed. "Tell Bladestar?"

Fatepaw thought about it. She didn't see another way to get out of camp without any cat noticing. "Fine," Fatepaw answered.

* * *

"Bladestar, I don't think you heard it, but me and Graypaw heard Emberpaw's voice. It sounded like she was in trouble," Fatepaw meowed. She and Graypaw were in the leaders' den.

"Thank you for the information. I'll send out a search party, and you and Graypaw will be included in it," Bladestar meowed.

"Heatclaw, Fatepaw, Moonfire, and Graypaw," Bladestar called. "Come to my den."

Fatepaw and Graypaw were already in his den, so they waited for Heatclaw and Moonfire. Fortunately, they didn't wait long.

"Have any of you seen Emberpaw?" Bladestar questioned them.

Heatclaw narrowed his eyes. "Now that you mention it, I didn't see her since the meeting," Heatclaw meowed. Moonfire nodded. "Same," he agreed.

"You four are to find Emberpaw," Bladestar said. The search party nodded.

* * *

"I found her scent trail," Moonfire hissed.

Heatclaw sniffed the forest floor. "You're right," Heatclaw mewed quietly. "She must've been here."

It seemed like Emberpaw hadn't known where she'd been going. Suddenly, a stench hit Fatepaw's nose. A fox!

"Heatclaw! Moonfire! Graypaw!" Fatepaw hissed. "A fox!"

Heatclaw turned around. "What?" Heatclaw meowed in disbelief.

"Maybe she was hurt by a fox," Moonfire suggested. "Let's still follow her scent trail."

They found Emberpaw in no time at all. She was cornered by foxes. She was pressed against a tree.

"Graypaw! You-you're here!" Emberpaw stammered.

Moonfire flicked his tail. "So are three other cats, Emberpaw." Moonfire rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but, um…can you fight off these foxes?" Emberpaw whimpered. The foxes were drawing closer to her, and Emberpaw was shrinking back in fear.

Heatclaw pounced on a fox. The fox turned his head and snapped his teeth towards Heatclaw, but he was faster. He swiftly dodged and raked his claws over the fox's eyes. The fox howled in agony. Drops of blood were splattering onto the forest floor. The fox gave a snarl, and it lunged towards Heatclaw, but he sidestepped and scored his claws onto the fox's pelt. Howling in pain, the fox turned tail and fled.

Moonfire, Fatepaw, and Graypaw were also taking down the foxes. Moonfire bowled over a fox and bit on its tail. The fox turned around and growled. It took a swipe towards Moonfire, hitting him on his side. Moonfire grunted and took a moment to take in the wound. Then, Moonfire struck. The blow hit near the fox's chest. Streams of blood came from the wound. The fox retreated, and Moonfire yowled in victory.

Fatepaw and Graypaw worked like a team, scratching a fox and sending it back. When the fox turned around, Fatepaw would be ready to scratch it, and when it turned back around, Graypaw would be ready to face it. After a while, the fox gave up and ran.

After the battle with the foxes was over, Heatclaw questioned Emberpaw. "Why were you out of camp anyways?"

"I was…um…ah, I was trying to find the foxes that Fatepaw attracted," Emberpaw meowed quietly, shooting a glare at Fatepaw.

"That wasn't my fault!" Fatepaw exclaimed hotly, her fur bristling.

"Easy." Graypaw laid his tail on Fatepaw's flank, and she relaxed. "We know that it's not your fault."

"Emberpaw, you were _trying _to find the foxes?" Moonfire asked. Emberpaw nodded slowly.

Moonfire sighed. "Are you completely mouse-brained? You could've been killed!" Moonfire exclaimed angrily. His shout caused Emberpaw to wince.

Fatepaw first felt sorry for Emberpaw, but then she thought about how Emberpaw had brought this problem on herself. Still, she couldn't resist a twinge of sympathy for the ginger she-cat.

"Come back with us," Heatclaw meowed.

* * *

"Bladestar, we have found Emberpaw," Heatclaw mewed.

"Ah, Emberpaw. Where were you?" Bladestar inquired.

"I was…I was searching for the foxes," Emberpaw stammered while looking at the floor.

"You did what?" Bladestar was in a rage.

"I know that you were trying to help the Clan by chasing them out, but still, that's completely mouse-brained! You tried to help, but all you accomplished was getting a pack of foxes to know where our territory is! Next time, leave this job to the warriors!" Bladestar fumed.

"Well, when _Fatepaw _was out of the camp, she ran into foxes, but she didn't really get a punishment! Now, when _I _run into foxes, _I _get a punishment! Why didn't _she _get one? Is it because of favoritism? Is it because that she was only a kit?" Emberpaw spat back.

Heatclaw, Moonfire, and Graypaw gasped. No one talked back to the leader!

Bladestar blinked, and then said, "She just wanted to explore. You intentionally searched for the foxes," Bladestar meowed slowly.

"So what if she just wanted to explore? _She _unexpectedly ran into foxes, and so did I! And you don't even give her a punishment?" Emberpaw was trembling in rage. "That isn't fair, and you know it, Bladestar. I used to think that you were the fairest leader. Now, I know that that's a lie. Just because a cat is crippled doesn't mean that they don't deserve a punishment!" With that, Emberpaw stormed out of the den.

"Emberpaw, come back!" Bladestar yowled. He ran after her, but she growled, "Leave me alone! I don't want to see you ever again!" She ran out of the camp entrance, tears streaming out of her eyes.

Fatepaw bowed her head. She had caused this all. Although she had never liked Emberpaw, she did have a point. _I never got a punishment, and Emberpaw should have, but she ran away, _Fatepaw thought bitterly.

The two apprentices padded silently over to the apprentices' den.

"Its okay, Fatepaw," Graypaw soothed. "This isn't your fault." With that being said, he hesitantly laid his head on Fatepaw's flank. She heard a small purr escape her. Graypaw could always cheer her up a little bit. But inside, she still felt terrible.

_What if Emberpaw never comes back and dies because of _me?

**And with that happy note, this chapter is finished.**

**The Goddess of Darkness- I DUNZ HATE YOU! (dunz means don't) I like Fatecloud as well. Argh. I CAN'T MAKE UP MY MIND!**

**MorningEmerald- MORE SCHOOL STORIES. PLEASE. THEY MAKE MY DAY.**

**Nikonkey- Love the names! 3**

**Pumpkinfur- LOL. XD I guess we need a supply of bricks, then…**

**Shadowtail- OMG, really? I didn't try to make it like that, lol. Tell me what the girls do! I could add that…in cat sense…**


	9. Chapter 9

**SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! But I had homework and stuff (yes, I have homework in summer) and…I will admit that I was a tad bit lazy. But anyway. Onwards with the chapter!**

"Let all cats that are old enough to catch their own prey gather here under the Grassheap for a Clan meeting!"

Fatepaw stumbled out of her nest, blurry-eyed with sleep. On the other hand, Graypaw, who was the only other apprentice since Emberpaw had left, was pacing back and forth with anticipation. Every single tuft of his fur was groomed in place.

"Aren't you sleepy?" Fatepaw murmured.

"Not at all." Graypaw continued to pace back and forth.

"What's with you? It's not like you're going to become the deputy!" Fatepaw meowed teasingly.

Graypaw stopped pacing and looked at Fatepaw squarely in the eye. "Wait until the meeting starts and you'll understand," he answered.

"It is time to do the ceremony that I enjoy the most-the naming of new warriors," Bladestar yowled.

Realization struck Fatepaw. Graypaw was about to become a warrior!

"Do you think that Graypaw is ready for this honor?" Bladestar inquired to Graypaw's mentor, Runningtail.

"He is," Runningtail purred.

"Graypaw, do you promise to honor and follow the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" Bladestar questioned.

"I do," Graypaw meowed solemnly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your name. Graypaw, from this day on you will be known as Grayflame. StarClan honors your kindness and loyalty, and we welcome you as a warrior of GrassClan."

"Grayflame! Grayflame!" the Clan yowled. Fatepaw yowled the loudest of all.

Bladestar swept his gaze over his Clan. "There was one more cat to be named warrior," he meowed. Sorrow cracked his mew. "Emberpaw is not here. But still, we should honor her, and we will have her warrior ceremony when she comes back."

"Emberpaw! Emberpaw!" the Clan shouted. Fatepaw found herself shouting out Emberpaw's name, which was surprising, though she did feel sympathy towards Emberpaw.

Fatepaw nudged Grayflame. "Are we still going to be close?" she mewed quietly. After all, she would be the only apprentice until Wingbird's kits were old enough.

"Of course we will," he purred. He buried his muzzle into her flank. "Just because I became a warrior doesn't mean that we won't be close." His eyes sparkled. "Though I suppose that I could boss you around."

"Never!" Fatepaw growled playfully.

Grayflame snorted. "I suppose you're right. You'd probably attack me if I try to boss you around."

Fatepaw was quiet for a moment. "What do you think happened to Emberpaw?" she asked.

"I don't know," Grayflame answered honestly. "To be honest, I feel sorry for her."

Fatepaw nodded. "Me too." Then she thought of something. "You do know that you're going to have to keep vigil, right?" she asked Grayflame.

Grayflame's eyes widened. "Darn! I was looking forward to sleeping today." He let out a huge yawn. "I had to get up early to groom myself."

Fatepaw purred. "Well, don't fall asleep," she warned. "Because I don't think Bladestar would like that."

"I know." Grayflame licked Fatepaw's cheek. "And I would never forgive myself if a badger or a fox came in and hurt you if I fell asleep during my vigil."

"Grayflame! Fatepaw!" A yowl sounded from the leaders' den. "Come over to my den."

The couple padded over to Bladestar's den. He was looking at the wall, his eyes full of…guilt? Was that guilt in his eyes?

"You two are to find Emberpaw and bring her back," he meowed.

"What if it takes too long and I can't do my vigil?" Grayflame asked.

"Then don't do it," Bladestar growled. "StarClan surely can forgive us."

"But-"

"No buts!" Bladestar lashed his tail. "I don't care if it takes too long. If you can't do your vigil, fine. You can do it some other day, it doesn't matter which. You two are dismissed," he meowed.

Once they were earshot of the leader, Grayflame whispered, "Is he mad? No cat would miss a vigil! And does he really think that StarClan would forgive him? The last time a cat missed a vigil, the Clan leader died!"

"Don't worry about it," Fatepaw soothed. "I don't think StarClan would punish us."

Grayflame sighed. "I hope you're right."

**I know this chapter is shorter than usual. I'll begin to update more frequently.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about the long wait…school is hectic. Anyways…here is the chapter ten that hopefully some of you have been waiting for.**

Grayflame and Fatepaw set off that very afternoon to (again) search for Emberpaw.

"Where could she be?" Fatepaw grumbled.

"Anywhere" was Grayflame's terse reply.

Fatepaw sighed. They had been searching for some time now, but they hadn't even picked up a trace of Emberpaw's scent. Suddenly, Fatepaw saw a paw print deeply imprinted into the forest floor.

"Grayflame!" she called.

Grayflame rushed over.

"Is this Emberpaw's paw print?" she asked.

Grayflame examined it. "It could be," he answered. Grayflame flicked his tail. "Come on, let's keep on going."

To their surprise, they found more paw prints and followed them. Finally, they came to an old hollow tree that had a hole inside.

"Do you think…" Fatepaw whispered. Grayflame shrugged. "There's only one way to find out," he whispered back, and he slowly stuck his head into the hole.

A hiss welcomed him. "Get out!" a voice said.

"Emberpaw?" Grayflame said.

The cat slowly climbed out of the hole. "Grayflame? Fatepaw?"

Fatepaw winced. Emberpaw, who had once been a pretty cat, had a pelt thick with fleas, and was skinny enough to see her ribs. "Yes, it's us," Fatepaw replied, swallowing her horror.

"Let's get you home."

When the trio got to camp, all of the cats swarmed around Emberpaw like she was a cat celebrity. They all asked questions like how did she survive and stuff like that. Finally, Bladestar intervened and quickly rushed her off to the medicine cats' den.

After Emberpaw had a treatment of mouse bile and a couple of pieces of fresh kill, a cat informed her that Bladestar wanted to see her. Emberpaw gulped. It was most likely going to be about how undisciplined she was for leaving the camp and almost dying (kind of).

"Emberpaw…how was-"

"I'M SORRY!" Emberpaw burst out. "I'm sorry that I disobeyed your orders. Punish me as you wish."

Bladestar tilted his head, bewildered, and suddenly he laughed. "Emberpaw," he purred. "I could never punish you."

Now it was Emberpaw's turn to be confused. "You…couldn't?" she asked. "Why?"

Bladestar cleared his throat. "I'm your grandfather."

"Wh…what?" Emberpaw meowed.

Bladestar sighed. "I guess I'll have to explain everything. Emberpaw, do you know your mother and father?"

Emberpaw opened her mouth indignantly. "Of course I do! My mother and father were…were…okay, maybe I don't know," she admitted quietly.

"Your mother was Icecatch, and your father was Heatclaw."

"What?" Emberpaw asked. "My father is the deputy, and my mother is banished?"

"Yes," Bladestar answered.

"Your father, Heatclaw, was a noble warrior. I was his father. I was so proud of him. But then he met Icecatch." Bladestar spat out the words. "Icecatch was a good warrior, and she acted nice to Heatclaw, leading him on…before long, they had a kit together. And that was you."

"That was me," Emberpaw echoed.

"I didn't like Icecatch," Bladestar admitted. "She acted too nice. Later, she became meaner and more…judgmental," he said. "Heatclaw realized this, and he left her."

"And then Icecatch found Foxcloud," Emberpaw piped up.

"Correct." Bladestar took in a deep breath. "Emberpaw, you like Grayflame, don't you?"

Emberpaw blushed. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"You must realize that him and Fatepaw like each other, right?"

Emberpaw sighed. "Correct."

"Don't hate Fatepaw for that." Bladestar's voice became gentle.

Emberpaw hung her head. "I'll try."

"Okay." Bladestar flicked his tail. "Dismissed."

That night, Emberpaw was heading to her den, when suddenly, Grayflame was just right next to her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Grayflame asked. "It must be hard living on your own for a day or two."

Emberpaw just nodded. Her pelt was tingling with excitement. Grayflame had just talked to her! Emberpaw literally floated to her nest.

Meanwhile, Fatepaw had seen the whole thing from her nest. _He's probably just asking her if she's okay or whatnot, _she thought. Still, a twinge of suspicion pierced her heart.

_Is Grayflame cheating on me?_

**YAY ITS DONE PLEASE READ AND REVIEW**


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